Gap Year Solo Travel

Gap Year Solo Travel

For the single would be traveller, deciding on whether to travel solo can lead to a few restless nights for many people with endless questions running around in their heads such as:

Am I doing the right thing?How will I cope? What happens if I fall ill?

Will I get lonely? Is it easy to meet people? Will I be safe? Will I get bored and go home early?

I was very hesitant about travelling solo for quite a long while before I eventually travelled the world. Now I prefer travelling solo as you meet more people, gain self-confidence, become more self-reliant, have time to think, make more new friends and travelling solo also gives you the freedom to choose when and where to go.

Quite often, you will join up with other solo travellers or groups and spend time travelling with them. Meeting new people in hostels, bars or on the beach is much easier than at home as many people are more relaxed and are in the same situation as yourself. Travelling solo may not be for everyone as there will be occasions when you will feel lonely or wish there was someone else to share the experience or help out in a difficult situation. Women travelling alone in certain regions of the world may also suffer from unwanted attention or other difficulties but researching the destination beforehand will help enormously in dealing with any situations that may arise.

The backpacker trail in many countries is so well laid out these days with so much information and help available. Travelling from one destination to another has become much easier and most travellers will experience a trouble free time. Another important consideration is to travel light and only take necessary items in a light high quality rucksack. This will improve mobility for those days when you have to search for new a place to stay on foot and it also makes repacking much easier when you have to constantly move from one destination to another over a short period of time.

If you are still hesitant about travelling alone, it may be possible to find a travel buddy or buddies by posting your requirements or replying to an entry in one of the many travel forums found on various gap year websites.